Wayne Bennett Unleashes On The NRL: "It's Totally Unfair On The Club"

The 'Super Coach' didn't hold back

England coach Wayne Bennett has slammed the NRL for not allowing the Raiders salary cap relief, after Josh Hodgson ruptured his ACL in their World Cup semi-final win over Tonga.

Bennett didn't hold back, even going as far as stating NRL hierarchy doesn't care about the clubs or players.

"I have no doubt they (Canberra) should get it (salary-cap dispensation)," Bennett told reporters on Thursday morning.

"It defies logic to me that we give our players to the game which we are happy to do, be it the World Cup or Origin, and then an injury happens and the game says you have to suck it as well.

"It’s just ... what’s the word ... disappointing that the game doesn’t care enough about the contributions we make for them to say it’s going to be a salary-cap issue.

"It shouldn’t be a salary-cap issue. Canberra should be compensated by allowing them to have another player (under the salary cap)."

The 'Super Coach' was then asked if he would take the issue up with the NRL in person, however, Bennett continued to fire shots.

"Why would I talk to them? It’s a waste of time,” he said.

"It’s common sense. I give you something, they use it, they break it, then they don’t want to compensate me for it.

"The game doesn’t have to put the money in anyway, the club still has to put the extra money in, but they just want the right to do that.

"The clubs aren’t asking the game to give us an extra $100,000, we’re saying let us spend the money on someone else to get the job done because this (injured) guy is going to be out for seven or eight months.

"It’s totally unfair on the club. That’s why we get a kickback when the clubs carry on about playing rep football because the game doesn’t respect what we’ve done."

Hodgson, will require a full knee reconstruction to repair the damaged ligament that will see the Raiders hooker miss most of the 2018 NRL season.